If you Love me, Let me Know
by hot4booth
Summary: This short story was written for Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts Week 3: Your character gets a visitor in the middle of the night. This is a Hotch/Prentiss themed story even though Beth is currently in his life. Rossi helps his friends see the truth.
1. Is Hotch Dating?

**Disclaimer:** Criminal Minds and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Author's Notes:** This short story was written for Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts Week 3: _Your character gets a visitor in the middle of the night._ This will only be 2 or 3 chapters. Everything will be done by the end of Monday (tomorrow). I like the anticipation of chapters :) This is a Hotch/Prentiss themed story despite the fact that Beth is in the "_background_."

**If you Love me, Let me Know **

**Chapter 1: Is Hotch Dating?**

Normally, Rossi wouldn't be in much of a hurry to get to Quantico, especially the day after they finished an out of town case. But there were always creeps on the streets and Garcia had called him out of a dead sleep. He wanted to stay mad at her for a little while longer, but he just couldn't. First of all, the tech kitten was too bubbly not to like. Second, she had additional news to share with him. The team of singles went to the bar the night before. If he had gone with them, he would've had the news sooner. At least he wasn't as miserable as the party goers. He had gotten a few more hours of sleep and at his age he admittedly needed it.

According to Morgan, Hotch scrambled out of the office once he found out it was Valentine's Day. His friend never cared about Hallmark ® holidays… ever. Not even when he was with Haley. He claimed every day should be about love. So this was not the kind of behavior he was accustomed to and he planned to get to the bottom of it.

Rossi spotted Hotch about to get on the elevator once he rounded the corner. He ran to catch up, hopped in the elevator and hit floor button #6 while his friend greeted him. With a smirk on his face, he looked him over for any signs. It was so reminiscent of a few days earlier when he had cornered his friend about finding a new reason to see Beth that he could barely contain the full grin that threatened to break free.

"Let's just get it over with. What?" growled Hotch.

Rossi's eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be grouchy, today, of all days."

"Excuse me?" answered Hotch.

"Don't hide, Aaron. We both know I'll get to the truth. Might as well surrender now."

Hotch glared at him. "I don't know what it is you think you know."

"Right," drawled Rossi. "So, where did you take Beth last night? And don't lie to me. You know I can convince Penelope to check your credit card activity."

Hotch let out a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Thankfully, the elevator door dinged its arrival to the floor of the BAU.

"It's only a temporary reprieve, Aaron. We _will _talk later," he called to the back of the retreating unit chief.

**~oOo~**

When the two men entered the BAU round table room, the rest of the team was already there. The room immediately grew quiet letting the men know that Hotch's where-abouts were already being discussed.

Rossi chuckled in amusement. "Profilers," he mumbled.

"Garcia, please get started," Hotch directed sternly.

**~oOo~**

"Out with it Rossi," came the voice of Penelope Garcia over the computer.

"Not this again," whined Rossi. "At this point, all of you know more than I do." Five pairs of eyes looked at him suspiciously. "Honest. When I get to the bottom of it, I'll let you know… maybe."

JJ laughed at the playfully disgruntled Garcia. "All you need to do, Rossi, is tell Garcia. I'm sure she can handle passing on the news."

"I don't doubt that," he answered distractedly. He was concerned by the expression on Prentiss's face. He had also noticed her distance from other conversations regarding their boss and any talk of his potential love life. He supposed he was going to have to get to the bottom of things with both of his close friends. And the sooner the better.

**~oOo~**

_**In the next chapter, who will be visiting who late at night in the hotel?**_


	2. Late Night Visit

**Disclaimer:** Criminal Minds and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Thank you for the reviews **( greengirl82, Rugbygirrl, Kate, Sarahb2007, Whitewolf200056 and Brittany)** and alerts! They mean so much! **

**If you Love me, Let me Know **

**Chapter 2: Late Night Visit**

The team was working a case in rural Michigan and they were able to get enough rooms for each person at an economy hotel. Hotch was relieved that he would get some privacy for the evening. Rossi had been trying to get him alone long enough to interrogate him about his date the night before with Beth.

"_I'm not discussing this with you," said Hotch calmly with his classic stoic look._

"_Then who are you going to discuss it with?" argued Rossi._

"_What are we? Girls?"_

_Rossi chuckled. "Attaboy. She's giving you your humor back."_

_Hotch rolled his eyes. "Let… it… go."_

"_It's too much fun getting a rise out of you. No pun intended, of course. I'll leave that to Beth."_

Although he had a nice time with Beth, he wasn't ready to relive it with his long time friend and colleague who would definitely make too big of a deal out of it. He needed time to think and feel for himself. He needed time to decide if a future relationship with Beth was what he really wanted for Jack and himself.

He jogged up the flight of stairs leading to the second floor. Before opening the door to the hallway, he just happened to get a glimpse of people in the hall. Ever the observer, he took a closer look. To say he was surprised was an understatement. It was already after midnight and they needed to be back at the station by seven.

He watched Rossi knocking on a room door that obviously didn't belong to him. With only a short wait, he was greeted by Emily Prentiss. What was he doing there? Should he allow himself to be seen and heard or should he just wait and watch?

He had known that Dave and Emily had become close over the years, but he hadn't thought of it as anything more than friendship. But was it more than that? Could it be why Dave was pushing him towards Beth? Would Dave pursue Emily when she was so vulnerable? What would it do to the team dynamics? What would it do to him?

He didn't like the way it felt when he watched Emily invite Dave into her room and close the door. And he didn't like thinking about _why_ it bothered him so much to see them together. He had Beth. He liked Beth. She made him feel alive. Although, he also had to admit that even though there had been passion in their kisses, it was most likely driven by need rather than love. Certainly not the kind of love he suspected he had for his colleague and subordinate. But it was forbidden. Why not see if something more could develop over time with Beth? It's the advice Dave had given him. As pushy as he was, he had his best interests at heart; he had to believe that. Dave had never failed him before.

Was he looking at all of this completely wrong? Was he falling in love with Beth, was he already in love with Emily or was he in love with the idea of being in love?

Or was it all of the above?

**~oOo~**

Emily was more than a little concerned when she found Rossi knocking on her door. The guy had been through so much in recent months. She was more than happy to lend a listening ear. Just as she had explained to Hotch a couple of weeks earlier, it's what friends do for each other. But after midnight? Unlike Reid, she was unable to extrapolate any hypotheses when it came to the legendary profiler. The man was as unique as his title claimed.

"Everything okay?" she asked and sat down at the small table near the window.

"That's what I'm wondering." He sat down across from her and laid one ankle on the thigh of his other leg as he leaned back in the chair in a relaxed position.

She looked confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rossi."

"Of course, you don't," he said with a smirk. "For what it's worth, I believe Hotch cares deeply for you."

She looked at him incredulously.

"He gave himself away while you were gone. It's how I knew something was up… that it was possible that you were alive and being protected."

"Hotch's poker face gave you away?" she asked in disbelief.

"You wound me, Emily. I'm a legendary profiler. I'm good at my job."

"Rossi, why are you here? What is it you think I should know?"

**~oOo~**

**Any ideas what Rossi will be able to say that will prove to Emily that Hotch loves her… and that she loves Hotch?**


	3. Proof

**Disclaimer:** Criminal Minds and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**Thanks for your input and reviews **( greengirl82, Rugbygirrl, amyprentiss-reid, p95000, a, DZHoneyBee, and twilightfan888)** and alerts! They mean so much! **

**If you Love me, Let me Know **

**Chapter 3: Proof**

"_Rossi, why are you here? What is it you think I should know?"_

"Well, the first thing to note is that she looks like you when you wore your hair all curly like you did when I first came back to the BAU. I'm not in anyway advising you to change your hair style. I just think it's interesting that Beth looks more like you than Haley."

"You're basing your reason for being here on his girlfriend's hair?"

"No. And I wouldn't say she is his girlfriend."

"Then what would you call it?"

"His training partner who he happened to take on a date. One date."

She shook her head in disbelief that she was actually having this conversation with Rossi. "This still doesn't explain why you're here, Rossi."

"It will make sense. Let me finish."

"Yes, sir."

He glared at her. "I'm your friend; not your superior. Listen. I've long suspected that he cares for you more than he wished he did. He's held himself in check for years. He doesn't want to be me," he added with a smirk. "My first indication was how upset he was when you were trapped in that compound with Reid. His level of concern was different from the rest of us. And it was different from how concerned he was for Reid."

"I think you're confusing that with his level on confidence with men versus women. He even admitted as much when Reid was captured by Tobias. He's old school chivalrous."

"That would be a plausible excuse if that was all the evidence. But he's always given you the benefit of the doubt. He has always given you more leeway on cases such as the one about your friends, Matthew and John. He listens to your advice readily on administrative decisions such as with Agent Todd and Ashley. When you were in Boston with Doyle, he defended all of your actions. Never once did he judge you. In trying to track down Doyle, we studied his interrogation with Clyde Easter. He threatened to destroy him if anything happened to you. He sent you to Paris to protect you. He accepted the anger that he would have to endure when the team found out you were alive."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Rossi wanted her to think about what he said before continuing. "Aaron went to Pakistan without a fight. He had to talk with his son via computer. Why do you think that is Emily?"

"You think that he was having trouble retaining his secret."

"No. It's more than that. Think about it. And while you do, don't get hung up on Beth. He needs to date in order to know who he wants and take the step of pursuing you with so much on the line… losing you as a friend and colleague if it didn't work out and risking his job. And by the way, while he couldn't leave the BAU for Haley, he took a huge risk when calling the Vatican to prove what was happening with the exorcisms. He respects you. You challenge him. You understand the job. You understand _him_. He cares about you that much. And I know you care about him that much."

"Because you're good at your job."

"The best," he grinned smugly.

"I have one question."

"Shoot."

"Have you met her?"

"No." He looked guilty and mischievous. "Garcia tracked his credit history. It turns out that he took Beth to a place that has security cameras."

Emily's jaw dropped. "Why am I not surprised?"

**~oOo~**

**A/N: How did I do?**

**Okay. I'm having an easier time writing this with short chapters. So I'm not quite done. Hope you're still enjoying it.**


	4. It's not the End

**Disclaimer:** Criminal Minds and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

**A/N** **1**: Thank you **p95000** for your review and **Sarahb2007** for that good question. I'm assuming that there are many venues in DC and the surrounding area that use security cameras such as museums. Beth is a museum curator according to one article I read. In a one-shot tag I'm writing for episode 7x14, I have Hotch and Beth going on a dinner cruise on the Potomac. I imagine something like that with close proximity to landmarks would have security cameras.

**A/N 2:** If you are confused by what you've read so far, you may be one of many people who didn't know this story was updated yesterday. FanFiction must have been acting up and doing strange things ;)

**If you Love me, Let me Know **

**Chapter 4: It's not the End**

A couple of days later, the BAU team was on their way home. Rossi had left Hotch alone after the first day for which Hotch was very thankful. He wasn't ready for a confrontation when he needed to focus on the case. But the reprieve ended when Rossi sat across from him on the plane. He said nothing right away as Hotch studied him.

"I'm not the unsub," Rossi finally said.

"What?" asked Hotch.

"You've been staring at me without blinking since I sat down a couple of minutes ago. Mind telling me what I did that pissed you off?"

Hotch glanced at Prentiss at the rear of the plane before talking. "Is there something going on between you and Prentiss?"

"Excuse me?"

"Midnight is a little late for a casual visit in a hotel room."

Hotch's stoic expression revealed nothing to Rossi about where his question came from. Rossi wondered if he was being accused of having an intimate relationship with Prentiss, and if so, was it out of jealousy or fraternization rules.

"I don't know what you're getting at, but if you had been watching, Emily looked like she needed a friend to talk to," explained Rossi.

Hotch thought that he and Emily had agreed that if she was having a bad day over a case that she would talk to him. So, what happened?

"Aaron, what is this really about? What is bothering you?"

"Nothing."

Rossi sent a look that meant he wasn't accepting his answer.

"She's vulnerable. She still has a lot of healing to do."

"Emily and I are friends. That's all. I wouldn't betray you like that."

One of Hotch's brows lifted in disbelief. "You've said your fraternizing days are over, but sometimes things happen. It's not a wild idea to think you may have slipped up."

Rossi smiled slightly. "That's not what I meant. I wouldn't get in between two friends who obviously care for each other beyond friendship and colleagues."

"Where did that come from? I thought you wanted me to date Beth. Look, never mind. I can take care of my own love life."

"Ehhh, maybe." He received the glare he was expecting. "You can't expect to settle down with happily ever after the first time out of the gate." Hotch rolled his eyes. "This thing with Beth, it's not the end."

"I have a son to protect."

"So, protect him. He doesn't have to meet every girl you date. Live a little. Get back in the game. Beth isn't likely to be the last one you date. And Emily isn't going to be vulnerable forever."

"There are rules for a reason. It would end badly and affect the whole team."

"Rules are meant to be broken. Stop with the doom and gloom. I said it before. You deserve to be happy."

**~oOo~**

Emily didn't have time to think much about her conversation with Rossi during the rest of the investigation. The last two days had been long. Certain aspects of the victims in the case threatened to overwhelm her if she allowed herself too much time to think. But now, on the plane, there was nothing else to keep her preoccupied. It was late. The only people awake were Hotch and Rossi. Her mind couldn't help but wander into dangerous territory. What kinds of things did two experienced profilers talk about after a case in a quiet, darkened plane? She only briefly thought about them discussing her. Hotch was an intensely private person. Rossi on the other hand was a force to be reckoned with when he wanted something. She could imagine him getting Hotch to talk. A small smile graced her face as she thought about how different the two friends were. She loved and respected both of them but in different ways.

Love.

She was grateful for the unique family bond on the team. They taught her that the word had meaning. She knew she should want to keep everything the way it was. She should keep her growing feelings for her boss tucked away. She couldn't imagine suffering losing her family again. If only she knew if Hotch felt the same way about her, maybe sacrificing her heart would be worth it.

She had no idea how long she sat staring out the window at nothing but blackness. She must have been daydreaming because she was taken by complete surprise when she discovered Hotch sitting across from her with a worried expression.

**~oOo~**

**One chapter left to go!**


	5. Hope

**Disclaimer:** Criminal Minds and its affiliated characters do not belong to me. I mean no copyright infringement.

Thank you for sticking with this story. I'm happy to get this finished. I really hope the ending is satisfying and realistic. **Thank you for your reviews **(greengirl82, amyprentiss-reid, and, p95000, )**. They mean so much! **

This chapter starts with Hotch's thoughts before going to Emily for an important and emotional talk.

**If you Love me, Let me Know **

**Chapter 5: Hope**

Eventually, Rossi let Hotch rest with his thoughts and found a comfortable place to fall asleep. Hotch felt guilty thinking about and comparing his life with two different women.

He felt the need to protect Emily. He smiled when he thought about how she would react to knowing that. She was a strong and independent woman. But even strong women needed security. Didn't they? She'd been through a lot emotionally. Anyone would be vulnerable after what she had been through. He suspected that Rossi was right. Emily did care for him… maybe even loved him through the years. She was just as protective of him as he was of her. But what if the events the past year had changed her? Would she still care for him in the same way later down the road once she had time to heal and move on from the pain?

Beth, on the other hand, was confident and comfortable with herself in most everything. He seriously guessed that was because she led mostly a sheltered life. She was very patient with his work schedule, but he didn't subject her to the details of the job… much the same way he hadn't with Haley. Eventually, Haley reached her limit. Would Beth do the same or would she be different because she knew from the beginning? He hadn't spent enough time with her to gauge that. After all, they hadn't been a couple up until a few nights ago; if you could even define them as that at all. What he did know was that he enjoyed spending time with her. She was fascinating and fun and she was slowly getting him past his fears of moving on. Maybe Rossi knew what he was talking about after all. He had needed her even if it didn't last.

**~oOo~**

_She had no idea how long she sat staring out the window at nothing but blackness. She must have been daydreaming because she was taken by complete surprise when she discovered Hotch sitting across from her with a worried expression. _

"Prentiss…" he began when he could tell he had her attention. "Emily," he started over. "How are you doing after this last case?"

"I'm fine, Hotch. Did I do something to worry you?"

"No. It's just that you haven't been talking to me recently." Emily was actually surprised that he noticed. "And this case was rather unique. Our victim had gone through 4 different identities being in witness protection and she was about your age. I'm assuming you could relate to things she went through."

"But I never had to rely on others to protect me. I have a larger skill set to fight for myself. And I didn't have to keep switching identities."

He studied her for a few moments. The profiler part of him wanted to kick into high gear, but he knew he couldn't do that with her. "But emotionally you were alone when you assumed the identity of Lauren Reynolds. And you were alone for seven months in Paris. You had a lot of time to over think things."

She sighed and placed her head in the palm of her hands with her elbows resting on her knees. "You're going to get through this. And you don't have to do it alone. In fact, I insist you don't do it alone. You've spent too much time that way."

"I'm not going back into therapy, Hotch."

"That's not what I meant. You have gone out of your way to be a great friend to your team members. It's time for the roles to be reversed. Let us help you."

They sat quietly for a couple of minutes. Emily sat staring out the window again and Hotch watched her. "I'd like to be the first," he eventually said in a soft voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I have Jack. But essentially, I spent a lot of years alone." Emily felt sick. She didn't want to be reminded that he had a date a few nights ago.

"And I had my share of tragedy during that time."

"Haley," she whispered with genuine remorse.

"There's more." He took a deep breath after scanning the plane to make sure everyone was still sleeping. "In the hospital, after I was stabbed by Foyet, you asked me if I wanted to talk about it."

"You said you didn't remember anything after the first stab."

"That wasn't the truth," he admitted while looking at his hands. When he looked back up, he saw concern in her eyes along with something else he was afraid to identify. "I remember too much." He looked off to the side trying to distance himself from the emotional part of the memory and just tell the facts how he remembered them. He couldn't do that looking at her while she felt sorry for him. With another deep breath, he continued. "He thought he had something to prove. That something was to show me that profilers are wrong when they say using a knife is a sign of impotence."

Emily's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "I am so sorry." She leaned forward and wrapped her hands around his that were folded with his elbows still resting on his knees. "I am so sorry you had to go through something like that. Have you ever talked to anyone about it?"

"No."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I think we can help each other. You let me in and I'll let you in."

"But I've never been…"

He interrupted her. "In a way you were. Remember when we were interviewing Karl Arnold?" Emily nodded. "You felt violated. But it wasn't just that that made you feel that way, was it?"

"No."

"You spent a long time with Doyle. You were violated even though it was consensual. You put a barrier around yourself in the form of Lauren Reynold's to protect yourself. You've spent years trying to figure out who you are since then and in the meantime you falsely thought you were protecting others from yourself."

"You're profiling me."

"Am I wrong?"

"No." She sighed. "And _I have_ spent a lot of time alone because of it."

"Healing takes time. And I want to be here for you… during and after."

"I'm not sure that's realistic. You have Jack. And you're dating again. You can't take time away from her if you're going to make it work."

"You let me take care of that. I want to know if you're interested in putting up with me?"

He smiled bigger than she'd seen him do in a very long time. They hadn't quite gotten to sharing about how much they care for each other; it was going to be one step at a time. Neither led an ideal life, but they knew each other's lives better than anyone from the outside. They both wanted to believe that things would eventually work out for each other. The _'I love yous'_ could wait as long as they were connected emotionally.

Hotch looked at his watch after receiving the call that they were going to be landing soon. It was too late to keep his date with Beth and he wasn't surprised that it didn't sadden him.

"How about we give up the heavy talk for one night? You up for a drink?"

"What about Jack?"

"I already had planned on picking him up tomorrow. I originally had plans for this evening, but it's a little late for that. But the night's still young. What do you say?"

She hadn't noticed that she was still holding his hands until he switched them and gave her fingers a light squeeze. "Yes, I'd like that. Sports bar, cops bar, karaoke bar?"

He looked horrified at the last idea. "How drunk do you plan on getting me?"

"I'll save that for another time, then. How about Sid's?"

"Much better," he answered with relief before laughing at himself for freaking out. He wondered if she realized she had assumed there would be a next time.

**~oOo~**

Rossi was pretty sure he had heard most of the conversation between Hotch and Emily and he was happy for them. And he couldn't help but be proud of himself for a job well done. His friends may find him pushy, but it was necessary with two hard-headed people who think they should be martyrs. They're sharing parts of themselves. It wouldn't be long before they let the other know exactly how much was needed and desired. He planned on staying on the job a little while longer just to make sure things kept going in the right direction.

**~oOo~**

**Thanks for the ride! Hope you enjoyed the story!**


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